REPLIES TO THE CURRENT QUESTION

Our question last week was:

What do you think will be the single greatest crisis facing the new president in his first month in office?

Here are your answers.  The name of a writer is included only if he or she actually placed a name at the end of the message.  Otherwise, we assume the writer wished anonymity and "name withheld" is inserted.

Unfortunately, there were only two replies:

It depends who is elected.  Unknown men or men with shaky foreign policy credentials are usually tested by our enemies.  I remember when Ronald Reagan became president the Iranian hostages were released within 24 hours.  The Iranians had sized him up in relation to his predecessor and realized they were dealing with a real man and backed down.  JFK was sized up by Khruschev and found wanting.  Did this not precipitate the Cuban missle crisis and the Viet Nam war?  Clinton was provoked so many times by Al Qaeda and never responded so that when GWB came around it was already a forgone conclusion that the Americans were weak.  Result: 9/11/01.  Bush's response to the attack has been magnificent and there has not been another attack on America since. One can criticize the prosecution of the war, at least up to the Surge, but his resolve not to be bullied has not been lost on those who would kill us.

Barry Obama has already signaled that he is weak and waffling.  His refusal to acknowledge the efficacy of the Surge has not gone unnoticed by our enemies.  Ditto his pathetic response to Russian aggression against Georgia and his grovelling to "negotiate" with Iran.  Of course, one has to believe we actually do have enemies.  We do.  And, our enemies know who Obama is. Look for one of those sleeper cells hidden in the US to be awakened within the first nine months of an Obama administration.  Of course, I hope that experiment never happens.

On the other hand, McCain is a known quantity around the world.  Our enemies and our friends know who he is and what he stands for.  Our enemies will not test him.  They know the response will be swift and severe.  The war will continue, of course, but they will not make the mistake of testing McCains' resolve.  That is a good thing.  McCain's test will be whether he can move what will surely be a hostile Congress toward energy independence and continued economic growth through tax cuts.  A strong economy is the only way America can continue to protect itself.  The more pressing foreign policy issue will be what to do with NATO.  This is a failed alliance.  The Russians have proven that.  Our European "allies" are really nothing more than recalcitrant children that refuse to shoulder their responsibilities.  As Stalin once remarked when criticized by the Pope, "How many divisions does he have?".  We still live in Hobbesian world when it comes to international relations.  The American Left and European idea of "soft power" is soft-headed.  It is clear that NATO cannot project power beyond the German border.  Can a new alliance with Eastern Europe be formed to counteract the revived Bear? This is the crisis McCain will have to face.

Alan Weick

Wow, polish up the old crystal ball and become a seer.  What an opportunity.  Oops, my crystal ball is cloudy, I may need the Ouija Board.  

This is the first of these questions for which there is no intelligent answer.  My hope is that the greatest crisis either of these men will face is figuring out how to get back and forth to the oval office from the family quarters in the White House.  If this is not the case, then fasten your seat belts; it may be a bumpy ride.

Don Newell